Getting regular, sufficient, and good-quality sleep is crucial for human health and well-being, especially for children.

With summer temperatures rising and nights offering little relief from the heat, this can be a major challenge.

“Summer heat can make it difficult to get regular sleep, which can lead to loss of energy, more negative emotions and behavior, and affect learning and development,” says Toby Mündel, professor of kinesiology at Brock University. “It can even weaken children’s immune systems.”

To sleep well, body temperature must drop at night, says Mündel, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Extreme Human Environments.

“The ideal temperature for your child’s room is between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius to keep it comfortable and safe,” he says. “Of course, this is easier if you can let cooler air in at night or have a working air conditioner.”

Regardless of whether a household has air conditioning or not, Mündel says there are a number of ways parents can help keep their children cool at night:

• Close blinds and curtains and use fans to circulate air in the room.
• Consider sleeping downstairs or in the basement if possible, as the lower floors tend to be cooler.
• Make sure your child drinks enough fluids before going to bed.
• Lower the child’s body temperature shortly before bedtime by giving him or her a cool bath or shower and wearing light clothing.
• Place a cool, damp cloth on your child’s forehead as they fall asleep.
• If age appropriate, fill a hot water bottle with crushed ice and cold water and put it in bed.
• Place a bottle of frozen water in front of a fan, making sure the jet of water does not blow directly at the child.